Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers
The
Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers is one of the
Livery Companies of the
City of London. The organisation, which engaged in not only tallow candle making, but also in the trade of oils, received a
Royal Charter in 1462. The Tallow Chandlers, were traditionally separate from
Wax Chandlers; wax candles were customary in churches, while tallow (animal fat) candles were used in homes. As is the case with most other Livery Companies, the Tallow Chandlers are no longer a trade association of candle makers, its decline precipitated by the invention of lightbulbs. Instead, it exists as a charitable institution, yet supporting education in oil-related fields.
The Tallow Chandlers' Company ranks twenty-first in the order of precedence of Livery Companies, immediately below the Wax Chandlers. The Company's motto is Ecce Agnus Dei Qui Tollit Peccata Mundi, Latin for Behold the Lamb of God, Who Takes Away the Sins of the World, a reference to Jesus Christ.
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